Safe In Your Arms
by InspiredDreamer45
Summary: ""Not that I'm not thrilled that we get to experience Emma as a little girl; but what in the world happened to our adult daughter? How are we going to get her back?" Snow said as she rubbed her forehead feeling a headache coming on."" *Child Emma *Magic *Disclaimer *Season One *Trigger warning *mentions of abuse
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This story is set in season one. I apologize if the ages are wrong or there are errors in the story; it's been a while since I've watched season one. This will mostly be a fluffy story about young Emma and her family. In my story Regina has gotten close to Emma and her family and will play a positive role in the coming chapters. There will be mentions of abuse in later chapters, and as always I will warn you at the beginning of those chapters. I thank you for taking the time to read my story. If you have any suggestions or ideas, please feel free to mention it to me when you leave a review. Thank you and enjoy :)**

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 **Chapter 1: Birthday Wish**

Emma watched Henry blow out his birthday candles. Today he was turning twelve and the whole town was celebrating at Granny's Diner. Everyone cheered as the candles went out.

* * *

Henry took a deep breath as he looked deep within himself for the perfect wish. He looked over and saw his mom smiling at him. He knew that growing up she didn't have the luxury of birthday parties or celebrations. It wasn't his fault; but he just wished his mom could experience the happiness of being a kid. That was it. His 12th birthday wish, he held onto it as he blew out the twelve flames. Magic ripped through him as he opened his eyes and saw his mom disappear in a whiff of pink smoke.

* * *

Emma opened her eyes as she looked around her surroundings. Was she in a new foster home? The house was empty.

She picked up her blankie and stuck her thumb in her mouth as she quietly walked around the house looking into each room.

The blonde didn't want to make any noise in case someone was in the house. Blonde curls bounced on her shoulders as she found a flight of stairs; bright green eyes sparkled as she slowly climbed the stairs. Curious of what she would find upstairs.

"Emma? Are you here? We're back!" David called out as he and Mary Margaret walked into the apartment.

The blonde quickly hid in the closet in one of the bedrooms; as she closed the door a few boxes fell creating a large thud. The noise scared her as she curled into a small ball and started to cry.

* * *

"Emma?" Mary Margaret called out as she started climbing up the stairs. Something inside her told her that her baby was in trouble. "Emma, sweetie where are you?"

It was very faint but she could hear small whimpers coming from one of the closets.

"David, go open the closet in Henry's room." She whispered as she crept slowly into Emma's bedroom.

Slowly she opened the door and saw that two cardboard boxes full of clothes had fallen. "Emma?" She stared at the little girl who sat in the back of the closet crying and sucking her thumb. She knew it was her daughter when bright green eyes met her brown eyes. Tears fell down Mary Margaret's face.

"It's okay Emma. I won't hurt you. I'm your mommy. See look here,"

She showed the blonde girl her gold necklace that hung from her slender neck. Half of a golden heart hung from the chain.

"Do you still have yours?" She gently asked the little girl before her.

Emma couldn't believe her eyes. Could this woman really be her real mommy? She nodded her head as she looked down inside her shirt and pulled out the heart pendant that hung from her small neck. When the authorities had found her on the side of the road; they had found her wrapped in a white crocheted blanket and a pure gold necklace around her neck.

She showed the other half of the pendant to the dark haired woman in front of her.

* * *

"There's nothing in Henry's closet!" David called out as he stopped dead in his tracks as he saw a tiny blonde haired little girl sitting on his wife's lap. "Is that… is that…"

"Yes. Emma, this is your daddy." Mary Margaret spoke quietly to her daughter. She wanted Emma to trust her and David; but it would take time.

David felt tears fall down his cheeks as he knelt down in front of Emma. "You found us Emma." He smiled when he saw his daughter smile at him. "Emma, how old are you? Can you show us with your fingers?" He asked

Emma nodded her head as she pulled her thumb out of her mouth. She concentrated as she held out three fingers to the man who said he was her daddy.

"Wow! You're a big girl!" He said excitedly as he smiled widely at his daughter.

Emma yawned as she wiped her sleepy eyes. She wrapped her tiny arms around Mary Margaret's neck. She felt warmth wrap around her as the woman hugged her tightly. For the first time in a long time she felt safe.

* * *

Emma had fallen asleep in her mom's arms. She sucked her thumb as Mary Margaret rocked back and forth in the rocking chair.

Snow closed her eyes content to be able to embrace her daughter. These were the moments that she had missed out on because of the curse twenty nine years ago.

Charming watched from the doorway with tears running down his face. He knew he should have been more concerned with the fact that his now twenty nine year old daughter had been turned into a three year old; but inside he was thrilled that they now had an opportunity to enjoy what they had missed out on in their daughter's life.

He could tell that his wife didn't want to put Emma down on the bed; but he also could see it in her brown eyes that she needed and wanted to talk to him privately.

Finally Snow wiped her eyes and stood up careful not to wake up her sleeping baby girl. She smiled as she noticed that Emma had managed to drool on her shoulder. Carefully she placed her daughter down on the bed; the blonde merely snuggled with her blanket and stuck her thumb back into her mouth.

"We need to talk." She whispered in her husband's direction.

They crept quietly out of Emma's bedroom and headed downstairs so they could talk in the kitchen.

* * *

"Not that I'm not thrilled that we get to experience Emma as a little girl; but what in the world happened to our adult daughter? How are we going to get her back?" Snow said as she rubbed her forehead feeling a headache coming on.

"I have no idea snow. It must have happened sometime around Henry's birthday party." He paused. "Wait… you don't suppose Henry had anything to do with this?" David said as he wondered if his grandson was the one who magically turned Emma into a child.

They both looked behind them as they heard the front door open.

"Is mom home? Did it work?!" Henry asked as he walked right into the apartment. Hope and curiosity shining brightly in his eyes.

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 **Again thank you for reading chapter one of Safe in Your Arms. I will try to update as soon as possible. I am working very hard to update all of my stories within the next couple of weeks. Please let me know what you think. Thank you.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow thank you for all of the positive feedback! All the reviews made me smile and inspired me in the best of ways. There are mentions of abuse in this chapter; so please be aware of that when you are reading this chapter. Again thank you for all of the positive feedback. I hope you are all well. thank you for reading.**

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Chapter Two: Unspoken Trust

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Emma rubbed her eyes as she woke up in a huge bed. She could hear her parents talking downstairs. The blonde couldn't believe she had found her real parents.

Slowly she began to climb down the stairs her blankie dragging down the steps. Four steps remained as her foot tripped on her blanket and before she could think she had fallen down the stairs. Instantly she began to cry; big tears falling down her face as blood started to pool around her head.

Snow and Charming both ran over to their daughter. They didn't want to move her in case something was broken. The brunette did her best to comfort her daughter as her husband called for an ambulance.

Henry stayed quiet as he watched helplessly at the scene before him. He hated that his mom who was now a toddler was hurt and bleeding. He ran home as fast as he could to find and tell his mom Regina what had happened. Tears falling down his face he ran home.

* * *

Emma had to have ten stitches in her head and the doctor had confirmed that she had no other injuries besides a slight concussion.

She sat in her daddy's lap and sucked on the rainbow Popsicle they had given her. Tears no longer fell from her eyes but her eyes were bloodshot red from all of her crying previously. A pink Barbie Band-Aid was on her right knee.

Snow was talking to Doc about how to take care of Emma once they got home.

"I got a hold of Emma's medical files. I'm sorry to say but there is evidence of abuse in these files. It seems that the foster family that she was placed in when she turned three years old was very abusive with her." Doc said as he opened the thick manila folder that was held together by a large rubber band.

The brunette gasped from the hallway as she saw; the bruises, cuts, and burns that her baby had received from her recent foster home. "Was she sexually abused?" She said as she tried to keep her sobs quiet so that her daughter and her husband wouldn't hear.

Doc looked at Snow sadly as he nodded his head. "There are signs that she was sexually touched. Though there are no signs of penetration." He said quietly as he wiped his brow with his sleeve. "I have noticed that Emma doesn't talk much. I looked at her throat and she seems healthy; I suspect that her silence is to due to the trauma that she has gone through. When she starts to trust you and those around her, she should start speaking."

"Thanks Doc I'll talk to Charming about all of this once Emma is in bed for tonight. I think it's safe to say that she will be sleeping downstairs. Our couch turns into a bed so it shouldn't be a problem." Snow says not only to Doc but also to herself as she shakes his hand before returning to her family.

* * *

Emma didn't say anything but she reached her little arms out when her mom walked back in the room.

Her mouth was sticky from the Popsicle so her mom gently wiped her face with a wet towel before picking her up. The blonde was very tiny in height and weight; weighing only twenty eight pounds.

"Emma are you ready to go back home?" Snow asked as she rubbed her daughters' back.

The blonde just nodded her head as she whimpered into her mother's neck.

"Shhhh it's alright. Let's get you home." Charming said gently as he placed a soft kiss to his daughters' head.

* * *

They finally got home and Snow placed Emma on the couch so she could give her some medicine. Emma stiffened and tried to cling to her mother. She didn't want to be alone.

Charming stepped in and offered to hold his little girl. "Here I'll hold you. Mommy needs to get your medicine and some pajamas to wear."

Emma snuggled in her father's arms. Her head and body was sore and she was tired. She felt safe when she was held. None of her other homes held her or took her home after being taken to the hospital. They always left her. She wanted to talk but she promised to only talk when she knew that her family would be keeping her.

Snow returned with a spoon and a bottle of grape flavored Tylenol.

Earlier at the hospital she had called her friend Belle and asked if there was any way she could borrow some of Isabella's old clothes. Isabella is Belle and Rumples' five year old daughter. Belle had put together a basket full of clothes and toys that her daughter no longer needed and dropped it off at the hospital.

The brunette chose a pair of pajamas that were pink and had pink sparkly butterflies on them. "Alright Emma can you open your mouth for me? After you can have this pretty pink sippy cup full of milk."

* * *

The blonde knew what medicine was and tasted like. She knew she wasn't going to like it but she opened her mouth anyway. She wanted to be a good girl. She swallowed as fast as she could coughing a little as it went down.

"Great job sweet pea! Here you go darling." Snow said as she handed her daughter the pink and purple sippy cup.

After Snow and charming helped Emma get dressed they fixed the couch so that it would fold out into a bed; they placed large pillows on the side of the mattress so that she wouldn't roll off of the bed in her sleep.

Charming placed his nearly asleep daughter on the bed and covered her up. "Sweet dreams Emma. Mommy and daddy love you very much. We will always be here for you princess; you're safe." He said in a whisper before he placed a kiss to her cheek.

Just when they were about to walk towards their bedroom they heard a small voice behind them.

* * *

"Mama… Dada!"

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 **Alright let me know what you thought about this chapter. In my story Belle and Rumple are married and have a little girl named Isabella who will later become friends with Emma. In the next chapter Regina will make an appearance and give us all a few more answers to all the unanswered questions of how Emma will return to being an adult. If you have any suggestions on what you'd like to see please let me know. This will not be a short story so we will be able to enjoy with Snow and Charming, Emma as a child. Thank you again. Until next time. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Alright here is chapter three. This chapter is very fluffy and kind of silly. There are a lot of daddy moments with Emma in this chapter. Regina finally makes her appearance. Thank you for all the positive feeback y'all have been giving me. Let me know what you thought about this chapter and what you would like to see in the next few chapters. Thank you.**

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 **Chapter Three: Spoken Comfort**

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Snow and Charming instantly turned around and hugged their daughter; happiness and joy shining on both their faces.

"She said my name first!" Snow rejoiced as she clapped her hands excitedly.

Charming was just thrilled that both their names had been called out. He picked up his daughter and rubbed her back gently. "It's okay Dada is here." He said over and over in a comforting voice.

"Dada no go." Emma cried into her fathers' neck. She didn't want to be alone; deep down she knew that these were her real parents and they loved her very much, but the trauma of her past rose up and fear gripped her tiny body.

"Oh Emma, it's alright. Dada and Mama won't leave you. Do you want to sleep with us in our bed tonight?" Snow said as her excitement calmed down. She could see that her daughter feared being alone.

Emma is no ordinary child and she needed her parents to reassure her that when she woke up they would be there for her. It might take Emma a week sleeping in her parents' bed before she decides that she wants to sleep in her own bed; either way her parents loved her and wanted to do their best.

The blonde nodded her head as she clung tighter to her daddy. She was exhausted and she could feel her emotions erupt as she cried heavily. She was remembering all the times that she was left all alone; no one wanted to keep her.

Snow instantly took charge as Charming handed Emma over to her. She embraced her daughter as she sat in the rocking chair that was in the corner of the room. "It's alright baby. Mama and Dada aren't going anywhere. You are wanted and you are loved." She said as she started to rock back and forth.

Charming covered up his daughter with her blanket. He remembered that there was a stuffed green dragon toy in their closet. It had traveled with them from the Enchanted Forest. It was a silly reminder that he thought his baby would be a boy. He retrieved the dragon and walked up to his daughter and showed it to her.

Emma started to calm down as she reached out and took the dragon from her father's hand. "Draggie!" She called out as she hugged him tightly. "Tank you Dada!" She squealed as her crying turned into giggles.

David couldn't have been happier he hugged his wife and daughter tightly. "Anything for you princess."

* * *

Charming woke up to find his daughter sleeping soundly on his chest; his wife was snuggled against his side. He smiled and rubbed his daughters' back and watched as her eyes fluttered open.

"Daddy!" She said as she sat up and wiped the sleep from her eyes.

"Good morning princess." He said as he smiled at her; he was thrilled that she was talking more and more.

"Mommy sleeping." Emma said as she pointed to her mom who was still sleeping soundly.

"Let's let mommy sleep for a little while longer. Do you want to help daddy make some pancakes?" He said as he carefully got up from the bed carrying Emma in his strong arms.

Emma nodded her head enthusiastically. None of her other foster homes let her help in the kitchen.

* * *

Snow woke up to the sound of voices coming from the kitchen. Her heart soared as she heard her daughter squeal in happiness.

There was flour all over the counters and some of the batter splattered onto the stove. Emma had flour on her face and she was stirring the pancake batter as her daddy was tickling her. The blonde took some flour in her little hands and flicked it at her dad before laughing in a fit of giggles. "Daddy you dirty!" She squealed.

"Daddy is all dirty isn't he?" Snow said as she walked into the kitchen and kissed her daughter and husband on the cheek.

"Morning Mommy!" Emma said excitedly as she flung her arms in the air hugging her mother tightly.

Charming winked at his wife as she hugged her daughter. She was happy to hear her daughter talk more and more; her little girl was opening up to them.

Emma's tummy growled loudly as her face turned pink in embarrassment.

"Woah! Was that a dragon growling?" Charming acted surprised as he winked at his daughter. He could see the amusement in her features.

"Noooo Daddy! I not a dragon!" She said with a bit of sass. Her hand was on her hip as she corrected her daddy.

Charming laughed as he tickled her tummy, "Oh that's right! You're a princess!" He said as he helped his daughter off of the kitchen stool. "Go let mommy help you get cleaned up and when you are done you can have some pancakes."

"Okay daddy. Mommy I dirty!" She said as she took her mothers' hand.

* * *

They finished eating pancakes and Emma was dressed in a white sundress. Her hair was in a fishtail braid and Snow had braided little white flowers into the braid. Emma also wore little white sandals on her feet.

She sat on the couch watching cartoons with her stuffed dragon and blankie. Her parents cleaned up the kitchen and got dressed for the day. Just as they were about to take their daughter to the park; there was a knock at the door.

Snow opened the door surprised to see Regina and Henry standing there. "Regina what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see Miss Swan."

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 **Well there you go. Let me know what you thought about it. I will try to update again soon. I wonder what Regina wants with Emma? Also how is Henry feeling about everything? We'll see in the next chapter.**


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